If I had predicted Yabra not making the playoffs this year, I probably would have had to go into hiding for such blasphemous predictions, ala Salman Rushdie of the infamous Satanic Verses, in a city where the fans are passionate about the game and their team. Blame could be cast in several different directions why the City Lions didn?t make it to post season. It could quite possibly be the exodus of super star players such as Deon Frazier, Emory Nunez, Vallan Symns, Landy Pinello and even head coach, Marvin Ottley, taking the boats across the waters to San Pedro. The blame could also be placed squarely at the feet of Norman ?Tillyman? Nunez who midway through the season had become owner, manager, and captain and made some ill-advised decisions in his brief tenure. However, to make him solely responsible for the team?s poor showing in this year?s tournament would be unfair. After all, he is only one of many who held the wheel, and can?t do it all by himself. So, have the players already resigned to the fact that what was once a force to be reckoned with in the BPFL, is now a less than a mediocre team, and relegated to the bottom four that did not make post season? Looks like that could be the case given the strange happenings on and off the field. With the end of the road in sight, another twist appears to what seems to be a not-so complicated story, given that neither ?Tillyman? Nunez nor Jerome ?Peel Off? Maheia, is available for comment. Amandala received a copy of a letter dated May 4th2005 addressed to the BPFL saying that ?Mr. Norman Nunez and Mr. Fred Michael will no longer be a part of the Yabra Football Club effective immediately, because Mr. Jerome Maheia will be taking over the Yabra franchise for the upcoming 2006 football competition.? When we finally made contact with Mr. Fred ?Muffet? Michael, the now estranged manager of Kulture Yabra, he said, ?This is the first I am hearing of this and I was only doing Tillyman a favor to take over the management of the team anyway. Matter of fact I just saw ?Peel-Off? and he didn?t say anything to me about this.? Of course, fans in Belize City are unaccustomed to being out of post-season football action so there is talk and many questions out in the streets. Is the heart of the Kulture Yabra franchise, Norman ?Tillyman? Nunez out looking for another team? Will other teams be receptive to getting an experienced player with ?baggage?? Now don?t get me wrong, Mr. Nunez is an extremely talented player, but being omniscient is not one of his many talents. Matter of fact, who of us is omniscient or perfect? I know am not. Go figure.
